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4 Main Types of BBQ Sauce

At Sooey’s BBQ & Rib Shack in North Carolina, we’ve dedicated our lives to creating delicious, fall-off-the-bone BBQ for everyone to enjoy. The history of BBQ can be traced back to four popular types of barbecue. These BBQ styles are generally used in basting and finishing sauces and have created the foundation of the many mouth-watering barbecue restaurants we go to today.

Vinegar & Pepper BBQ Sauce

The first original barbecue sauce dates back hundreds of years and was created using two very simple ingredients: vinegar and pepper. The origins of this sauce are believed to be traced back to the coastal plains of North and South Carolina.

Mustard Based BBQ Sauce

Often considered the South Carolina BBQ sauce, mustard-based barbecue sauces were influenced by Germans living in the South. From the 1730’s to the 1750’s, South Carolina recruited thousands of German families to assist in farm-type agriculture. This special South Carolina mustard sauce can be traced back to these German settlers simply through the last names of the families who still sell the sauces. One of the most popular families is the Bessinger family, who continues to sell their mustard-based BBQ sauces today.

Light Tomato BBQ Sauce

The light tomato BBQ sauce is a spin off of the vinegar and pepper sauce with a little bit of ketchup for added sweetness. One of the most famous regions this barbecue sauce can be found is in Lexington, North Carolina and the upper middle part of South Carolina.

Heavy Tomato BBQ Sauce

The most popular BBQ sauce on the market today, heavy tomato BBQ sauce has exploded on the American barbecue scene. As the most readily available sauce on the market today, people rush to get a taste of this delicious sauce due to its extra sweet taste.

If you live in North Carolina and are looking to try some authentic southern BBQ, stop by Sooey’s BBQ & Rib Shack today. We have North Carolina BBQ locations in Corolla, Nags Head and Duck, so you’re sure to find a convenient restaurant location nearby.